System and method for measuring and reducing vehicle fuel waste

ABSTRACT

One way to improve fuel efficiency of a vehicle is to detect the vehicle operational shortcomings related to fuel consumption by determining whether fuel used during operation of the vehicle is normal fuel use or wasted fuel use. Considerations of idling, speeding and inappropriate gear shifts are some ways to measure the amount of fuel wasted due to operator shortcomings. Communicating this information to the operator in real-time so adjustments can be made will improve vehicle fuel efficiency. These techniques are applicable to tracking employment of other driving best practices as well.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/551,699, filed Nov. 24, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/313,403, filed Dec. 7, 2011, which is now U.S.Pat. No. 8,924,138, issued Dec. 30, 2014, which claims priority under 35U.S.C. §119 to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/420,556, filed onDec. 7, 2010, the contents of these applications being incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD

This invention relates to improving the fuel efficiency of vehicles.

BACKGROUND

Improving fuel efficiency of a variety of vehicles continues to be animportant challenge, especially given the role of fossil fuels in bothclimate change and international relations. Many approaches to differentfuels, e.g., biodiesel and electric cars, have been proposed, as havemany different engine designs. One previously overlooked area ofresearch is improving the operation of existing vehicles.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods disclosed herein monitor the operation of a vehicleto measure the amount of fuel used, and to determine the portion of thefuel wasted (wherein in wasted generally refers to the amount of fuelconsumed above a particular threshold, such as the amount of fuel usedaccording to best practices). While the vehicle is operated, fuel usemay be attributed to one of several categories that correspond tooperation of the vehicle. By comparing the amount of fuel used with theamount of fuel wasted, the minimum amount of fuel that the operatormight have used can be determined. The results of this monitoring may bepresented to the operator to improve performance. In addition, theresults may be provided to the operator's supervisor for use in trackingoperator performance, providing training to the operator, and/orreconfiguring the vehicle.

The disclosed embodiments include an on-vehicle system for monitoringfuel-use. The system might include one or more sensors, a processor anda data storage device that stores program instructions and informationwhich, when executed by the processor, configures the system toattribute the fuel used to one of a plurality of fuel-use categorieswithin respective time frames, wherein the categories include aplurality of wasted fuel categories and at least one non-wasted fuelcategory. The system determines the minimum amount of fuel required fora sequence of the time frames based on the amount fuel attributed to thewasted categories and the amount of fuel used attributed to thenon-wasted categories.

Other embodiments include a method for monitoring the fuel use of avehicle. The method may include attributing the fuel used by the vehicleto one of a plurality of fuel-use categories within a respectiveplurality of time frames, wherein the categories include a plurality ofwasted fuel categories and at least one non-wasted fuel category anddetermining the minimum amount of fuel required based on the amount fuelattributed to the wasted categories and the amount of fuel attributed tothe non-wasted categories.

The wasted fuel categories may include, for example, high idle,excessive idle, excessive speed, gearing, progressive-low shifting andprogressive-high shifting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system;

FIG. 2 is a functional diagram of the exemplary system;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process of categorizingfuel-use;

FIG. 4 is a line graph of engine speed versus vehicle speed and thecorresponding fuel-use categories for different transmission selectionsin an exemplary vehicle; and

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process of determiningfuel used and fuel wasted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein measure the fuel used by theoperator of a vehicle during a sortie and determine the amount of fuelwasted. The vehicle may be any type of transport having an operator(e.g., a driver or a pilot), an engine (e.g., a piston engine, a dieselengine, a rotary engine, an electric motor, or a turbine engine) and agearing that propels the vehicle by consuming fuel. The vehicle may be,for example, a ground vehicle (e.g., gasoline or hybrid), watercraft,aircraft, a model vehicle (e.g., remote controlled car) that may be usedto transport passengers, mail and/or freight, sensors or for pleasure.

Fuel is any energy source that the engine consumes to propel the vehicleand operate its auxiliary equipment. Generally, the fuel used by thevehicle is a combustible material, such as gasoline, kerosene, dieselfuel, hydrogen, natural gas and/or ethanol. The disclosure, however, isnot limited to such exemplary embodiments. The fuel can be acombustible, chemical, electrochemical, biological, solar, photovoltaic,nuclear, kinetic, and potential energy source.

The operator is an individual that controls the vehicle during a sortieand whose behavior affects the amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle.Ideally, an operator would not waste any fuel. That is, the operatorwould use the minimum amount of fuel necessary during the sortie.However, during a sortie, an operator may waste fuel due to poor drivingtechnique (e.g., changing gears at the wrong time or traveling atexcessive speeds), excessive idling (e.g., failing to turn the vehicleoff during long stops) or high-idling (e.g., using the vehicle to runauxiliary equipment). Also, fuel may be wasted if the vehicle is notproperly configured, such as in the case where a vehicle is setup formaking heavy haul deliveries performs a sortie requiring a large numberof light deliveries in stop-and-go conditions.

In terms of this disclosure a “sortie” is the period between the startof a trip at an origin location and the end of the trip at a destinationlocation by a particular vehicle. The “start” and the “end” of a sortiemay correspond to an operator-input, a time event and/or a positionevent. For instance, an operator-input event may be a command input(e.g., a pushbutton) from the operator of the vehicle. Time events mayinclude all the activities of the vehicle within a time period (e.g.,7:00 AM to 7:00 PM). Position events may define the start of a sortiewhen a vehicle embarks from a first location (e.g., a start line) and/orat the end of a sortie when the vehicle arrives at a second location(e.g., a finish line). The first and second locations may be the same aswhere the vehicle completes a round-trip.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary vehicle in whichembodiments consistent with the present disclosure may be implemented.The vehicle may include operator controls, a drive train, sensordevices, an audiovisual device and a communication device.

The operator controls are components of the vehicle that receive inputsfrom the operator that affect the vehicle's fuel consumption. Theoperator's controls may include, for example, steering inputs (e.g.,steering wheel, stick, yoke), breaking inputs, trim inputs, throttleinputs and transmission inputs (e.g. gear selection).

The drive train includes vehicle components that transform fuel intokinetic energy to propel the vehicle. The drive train may include anengine, a transmission, and a final drive (e.g., drive wheels,continuous tracks, propeller, etc.).

Sensors are devices that measure or detect real-world conditions andconvert the detected conditions into analog and/or digital informationthat may be stored, retrieved and processed. As shown in FIG. 1, thevehicle's sensors include control input sensors, vehicle position/motionsensors, and drive train sensors. The control input sensors detectand/or measure changes in the state of the control input devices.

The vehicle motion/position sensors detect and/or measure the vehicle'sposition, orientation, velocity, acceleration and changes in the statethereof. The motion/position sensors may include accelerometers thatmeasure acceleration (translational or angular). Based on the vehicle'sacceleration in any direction over time, its speed and position can bederived. In some embodiments, some or all of the motion/position sensorsare provided by an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which is anelectronic device that measures and reports on a vehicle's velocity,orientation and gravitational forces, using a combination ofaccelerometers and gyroscopes without the need for external references.Additionally, the motion/position sensors may be provided by a globalpositioning system (GPS) navigation device. GPS devices provide latitudeand longitude information, and may also calculate directional velocityand altitude. The vehicle may also include speed sensors that detect thespeed of the vehicle. Based on the speed, the sensor may also detect thedistance traveled by the vehicle (e.g., odometer). Additionally oralternatively, wheel speed sensors may be located on the wheels, thevehicle's differential, or a pilot tube may measure the velocity of airwith respect to the motion of the vehicle.

The drive train sensors include devices that determine operatingparameters of the engine and transmission. For example, the drive trainsensors may detect engine speed (e.g., RPM), air flow, fuel flow, oxygenand idle speed. Based on this information, the vehicle's fuelconsumption may be determined at any given time.

The audiovisual device generates visual and aural cues to present theoperator with feedback, and coaching. The audiovisual device may includea video display, such as a liquid crystal display, plasma display,cathode ray tube, and the like. The audiovisual device may include anaudio transducer, such as a speaker. Furthermore, the audiovisualdisplay may include one or more operator-input devices, such as bezelkeys, a touch screen display, a mouse, a keyboard and/or a microphonefor a voice-recognition unit. Using the audiovisual device, informationobtained from the vehicle's sensors may be used to provide feedback tothe operator indicating driving actions that should have been taken oravoided to optimize fuel consumption by the vehicle.

The communication device sends and/or receives information from thevehicle over one or more communication channels to other vehicles, aremote supervisor, and/or a remote server (not shown). The communicationdevice may provide, for example, information collected by the sensorsand reports generated by the fuel tracking system describing fuel use,fuel wasted, operator performance and vehicle performance to aback-office server (not shown).

The communication device may use wired, fixed wireless, or mobilewireless information networks that communicate a variety of protocols.The networks may comprise any wireless network, wireline network or acombination of wireless and wireline networks capable of supportingcommunication by the vehicle using ground-based and/or space-basedcomponents. The network can be, for instance, an ad-hoc wirelesscommunications network, a satellite network, a data network, a publicswitched telephone network (PSTN), an integrated services digitalnetwork (ISDN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), ametropolitan area network (MAN), all or a portion of the Internet,and/or other communication systems or combination of communicationsystems at one or more locations. The network can also be connected toanother network, contain one or more other sub-networks, and/or be asub-network within another network.

The controller may be one or more devices that exchange information withthe sensors, the memory device, the data storage device, the audiovisualdevice and/or the communication device. The controller includes aprocessor and a memory device. The processor may be a general-purposeprocessor (e.g., INTEL or IBM), or a specialized, embedded processor(e.g., ARM). The memory device may be a random access memory (“RAM”), aread-only memory (“ROM”), a FLASH memory, or the like. Although thememory device is depicted as a single medium, the device may compriseadditional storage media devices.

In some embodiments, the controller is a stand-alone system thatfunctions in parallel with other information processing devices (e.g., amission computer, engine control unit or cockpit information unit)operating on the vehicle. In other embodiments, the functions of thecontroller may be incorporated within one or more other informationprocessing devices on the vehicle.

The controller processes the received information to determine theamount of fuel required for the vehicle during a sortie, and the amountof fuel wasted during the sortie. The determinations made by thecontroller may be output via the audiovisual device to provide feedbackand/or operator coaching. In addition, the determinations may bereported to a supervisor or a back-office server via the communicationdevice.

The data storage device may be one or more devices that store andretrieve information, including computer-readable program instructionsand data. The data storage device may be, for instance, a semiconductor,a magnetic or an optical-based information storage/retrieval device(e.g., flash memory, hard disk drive, CD-ROM, or flash RAM).

The controller interface device may be one or more devices forexchanging information between the host and the devices on the vehicle.The controller interface device may include devices operable to performanalog-to-digital conversion, digital-to-analog conversion, filtering,switching, relaying, amplification and/or attenuation. Furthermore, thecontroller interface device may store the received information foraccess by the processor. In some embodiments, the data interfaceincludes a diagnostic data port, such as a J1708/J1939 bus interface asdescribed in the Society of Automotive Engineers SAE InternationalSurface Vehicle Recommended Practice.

The computer-readable program instructions may be recorded on the datastorage device and/or the memory device. As shown in FIG. 1, theinstructions include a recording module, a categorization module, adetermination module and a feedback module. The recording moduleconfigures the controller to obtain information provided to thecontroller by the sensors and stores the sensor information in the datastorage device. The categorization module configures the controller tocategorize the amount of fuel used during the sortie based oninformation received from the sensors and control inputs. Thedetermination module obtains information from the fuel-use log anddetermines the amount of fuel used during the sortie, the amount of fuelwasted, and the minimum amount of fuel required to complete the sortie.

The data stored on the data storage device includes a vehicle profile,an operator profile, and/or a sortie profile. The vehicle profileincludes information describing the configuration and predeterminedlimits of the vehicle. For instance, the vehicle profile may include avehicle identifier, a vehicle type, a make, a model, vehicle options,vehicle age, defects, maintenance history and predetermined limitations(e.g., road speed limit). In addition, the vehicle profile may storeinformation about the engine, such as the engine type, size, power,power curve and idle speed. Also, the vehicle profile may storeinformation about the transmission, such as gear ratios, thresholdspeeds, optimal engine speed for the gears in the transmission, and/or amap of the ideal shift patterns for the transmission. The operatorprofile stores information describing the operator includingidentification information, experience information, skill-ratinginformation, performance information and goal information.

The sortie profile stores information corresponding to a sortie. Thesortie profile information may include a sortie type, a sortiedescription and a load description. In addition, the sortie profile mayinclude thresholds corresponding to the sortie, such as speed, distance,time, stops and load. Furthermore, the sortie type may includeinformation describing the sortie, including, the environment of thesortie (e.g., urban, suburban, rural, long-haul, combat, enforcement,patrol, or training) along with corresponding performance thresholds. Inaddition, the sortie description may include a predefined route,waypoints and schedules for the sortie. A load type may include, forexample, descriptors of the load including size, weight, scheduleddelivery time, fragility and/or hazardous material identifiers.

The data storage device may store logs of information generated duringthe sortie. This information may include a sensor log, a fuel-use logand an operator log. The sensor log receives information from thesensors and stores the information in association with a correspondingtime frame. A time frame is a block of time that is one of a series thatspan the duration of the sortie. The length of the time and the rate atwhich the time frames are recorded may be chosen to provide differentlevels of detail regarding the vehicle's fuel-use and the operator'sperformance. In some embodiments, a substantially continuous sequence offuel-use determinations is recorded in the fuel-use log. For instance,the recording may determine a category of fuel-use for each time frameduring the sortie. The time frame may be, for example, 1/60th of second,one-second, ten-seconds, etc. Other embodiments may, for example, makeperiodic samples. The recording may record a fuel-use determinationevery ten seconds based on a one-second time frame.

The fuel-use log is a record of the fuel-used by the vehicle during asortie. As described below, the controller determines the amount of fuelused and the fuel wasted during a sortie. The fuel used and the fuelwasted is determined based on categorizing the fuel used within a numberof time frames during the sortie.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the exemplary vehicleillustrated in FIG. 1. The recording module, when executed by theprocessor, configures the controller to obtain information from thevehicle's sensors over a time frame (N) and store the sensor informationas a record in the sensor log identified to the corresponding time frame(N), where “N” represents a current time frame in a series of timeframes [0 . . . N . . . X], where “0” represents the first recorded timeframe during the sortie, “N” represents the current time frame, and “X”represents the final time frame recorded at the end of the sortie. Forthe sake of clarity, FIG. 2 only shows the sensor information recordedfor a single, current time frame (N). The same or similar informationmay be recorded and stored in the sensor log for each time frame 0 to X.In some embodiments, all the sensor information from each time frame maybe retained in the sensor log. In other embodiments, a subset of thesensor information is retained. For example, to reduce the size of thedata storage device, the sensor log may function as a buffer that storesonly the latest several time frames (e.g. N−2, N−1, and N).

The categorization module, when executed by the processor, configuresthe controller to obtain sensor information stored in the sensor log fora time frame and, based on the sensor information, categorize the fuelused in that time frame into one of a plurality of categories. Thecategory information is stored in the fuel-use log identified with thecorresponding time frame (0 . . . N . . . X). As described in detailbelow with regard to FIG. 3, the categories include a number ofcategories that identify different wasteful uses of fuel (e.g.,high-idle, excessive idle, excessive speed, gearing, or improperprogressive shift) and at least one category corresponding tonon-wasteful uses of fuel (e.g., normal fuel use or a desired stop).

The determination module, when executed by the processor, configures thecontroller to determine how much fuel was consumed beyond what wouldhave been used by best practices based on information recorded in thefuel-use log. The cumulative amount of fuel wasted during the sortie maybe determined by totaling the fuel categorized as wasted in the timeframes 0 to N. Additionally, the fuel wasted over the entire sortie maybe determined by totaling the fuel used for each time frame categorizedas wasted in the time frames 0 to X. Furthermore, the minimum amount offuel required during the sortie may be determined by subtracting thecumulative amount of fuel wasted from the cumulative fuel used duringthe sortie.

The reporting module, when executed by the processor, configures thecontroller to obtain information from the fuel-use log and/or thedetermination module to generate a report of the vehicle's and theoperator's performance during the sortie. The reporting module maygenerate a document including the information in the report and providethe information to, for example, the communication device fortransmission to the operator's supervisor and/or back office server. Thereporting module may also share information with the feedback module.

The feedback module, when executed by the processor, configures thecontroller to obtain information from the fuel-use log and/or thereporting module. Based on the obtained information, the feedback modulemay generate visual and aural cues for the operator using theaudiovisual device. For instance, the feedback module may generate ashift score that is calculated and displayed to the operator by theaudiovisual device and/or transmitted to the operator's supervisor viathe communication device. The feedback module may also determine anoperator's performance score based on the results generated by thecategorization module and the determination module. The score may alsobe used to compare performance relative to other operators in a group.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process by which thecategorization module categorizes fuel-use. The amount of fuel wastedduring the sortie is determined from the categorization of a vehicle'sfuel use based on information received from the vehicle's sensors. Thecategories correspond to conditions of the vehicle caused by theoperator and/or vehicle configuration. The categories include excessiveidle, high idle, gearing, improper gear selection (e.g., high/lowprogressive shifting) and excessive speed. By determining the amount offuel allocated to these categories during and/or after a sortie, thesystem may determine the least amount of fuel required during thesortie. Based on this, a fleet manager may determine the operating costof the fuel for a sortie absent any waste. Additionally, the fleetmanager and/or the cost of his operators' inefficient behaviors.

“High-idle” is a category of fuel-use in which fuel is consumed whilethe vehicle is stationary (e.g., based on GPS, speed, INS) and theengine speed is above a predetermined high-idle threshold (e.g., 800RPM). The sensing of the power takeoff engagement may be an actualindicator signal rather than just an increase in RPM. (See, e.g., FIG.4, “High Idle.”) The categorization module may allocate fuel to thehigh-idle category when, for example, the operator powers auxiliaryequipment using the vehicle's engine. The amount of fuel allocated tothis category may be determined by monitoring fuel flow rate within eachtime frame corresponding to the high-idle category. In some embodiments,the fuel used during high idle is computed by integrating fuel rate FRduring high idles for each of the N_(high) high idles

$F_{highIdle} = {\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{N_{high}}\; {\int_{r_{hs}^{j}}^{t_{he}^{j}}{{{FR}(t)}\ {t}}}}$

where t_(hs) ^(j) and t_(he) ^(j) denote start time and end time of thej^(th) time frame, respectively.

“Excessive idle” is a category of fuel-use in which fuel is wasted whilethe vehicle is stationary, the engine speed is below the high-idlethreshold but the vehicle has been stationary for a continuous span oftime that is longer than an excessive-idle time threshold. The excessiveidle category measures fuel wasted by the operator by, for example,leaving the vehicle's engine running to operate auxiliary equipment. Theamount of wasted fuel attributed to excessive idle may be increasedbased on information indicating additional wasteful operations. Forinstance, some vehicles may be equipped with an “auto-shutoff” featurethat stops the engine after the vehicle idles for a predetermined amountof time. In cases where the auto-shutoff feature malfunctions or isdisabled, all the fuel that is used after the predetermined time for theauto-shutoff to trigger may be attributed to the excessive idlecategory.

In some embodiments, the amount fuel wasted for excessive idle may bedetermined using the following algorithm:

$F_{PS} = {\max( {{{\frac{\sum\limits_{k = 1}^{N_{long}}\; ( {{\Delta \; t_{longIdle}^{k}} - {5\mspace{14mu} \min}} )}{\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{N}\; {\Delta \; t_{i}}}F_{total}} - F_{highIdle}},0} )}$

where:F_(total) is total fuel consumed,Δt_(longIdle) ^(k) is the duration of the k^(th) long idle,N_(long) is the number of long idles,Δt^(i) is the duration of the i^(th) idle,N is the number of all idles, andF_(highIdle) is integrated fuel during the high idles.

In addition, the amount of fuel attributed to the excessive idlecategory may be reduced based on information indicating non-wastefuloperations while idling during short stops (e.g., delivery stop, stoplight) or operating auxiliary equipment. In the case of short stops, theduration of idling used to screen out stops for deliveries/pickups,stops for traffic signals, and initial engine warm up. The fuel used inthese cases can then be attributed appropriately to the “normal fueluse” category. In certain embodiments, high idle should not beclassified as wasted fuel as this is fuel used for running auxiliarydevices.

“Progressive Shifting-Low” and “Progressive Shifting-High” arecategories of fuel-use in which fuel is wasted by an operator who hasselected an improper gear for the vehicle's speed. Progressive shiftingis a technique for changing gears that reduces fuel consumption. Theoperator “progressively shifts” by changing gears upward as early aspossible when accelerating. After each shift is completed, the engineand transmission should be operating at or near the lowest speed (e.g.,RPM) recommended for the transmission by, for example, the manufacturer.

Shifting as early as possible may be preferable where an engine's torqueand horse power curves are correlated, as is the case for certain dieselengines. Newer, more efficient diesel engines may have peak torque occurat a much lower RPM. These engines may have torque bands that are flatover a well-defined range and there could be a significant loss intorque and fuel efficiency if a driver allows the engine RPM to exceedthe critical thresholds beyond these bands.

In certain embodiments, a system may be configured to maximize torquewhile minimizing fuel consumption. In situations where the desired RPMis within the OEM specified peak torque band of more than one gear, asystem may set the gear with the highest torque, lowest fuel consumptionor a combination thereof as optimal.

If there are two available gears, often the higher gear (perhaps bycount rather than ratio) provides the most fuel efficient speed at whichto operate the engine. Normally the “ideal shift,” i.e., the shift thatoccurs exactly when the next higher gear would allow the engine speed tojust exceed the lower manufacturing threshold, ensures that the engineis operated at the lowest possible speed that can maintain the desiredtorque while operating in the most fuel efficient manner. In oneembodiment, an on-board computer may automatically determine this pointfor each of the gears customized for a particular truck (as determinedby the gear setup/transmission/engine combination) and then uses thatinformation to calculate the fuel lost when this shift point is not hitexactly. As with other algorithms disclosed herein, the difference infuel flow rates between the higher gear and the lower gear over thetime-period in which the driver remains in the wrong gear can be used inorder to determine the total amount of fuel wasted (or potentiallywasted).

In certain embodiments, the calculation of which gear is optimal may bedone in software (e.g., on an on-board computer or in a remote server)such that as recommended gearings change, perhaps due to new enginedesigns, the calculations may be adjusted with reduced cost.

In certain embodiments, there may be gradations of the wrong gear beingused. For example, a driver (and/or their supervisor) may be notifiedthat the driver shifted “late” rather than “very late.” In anotherexample, there may be three levels to differentiate how chronologicallyearly the shifting occurred, e.g., a little early, early and very early.

The categorization module allocates the fuel used to the low/highprogressive shifting categories when the vehicle is moving, thevehicle's speed is less than an excessive speed threshold and the enginespeed for the selected gear is outside the predetermined range. (See,e.g., FIG. 4, “Low-Progressive Shift” and “High Gear ProgressiveShifting.”) If the categorization module determines that the currentgear selection satisfies the requirements for low/high progressiveshifting, the module determines the amount of fuel wasted from thedifference between the current fuel-flow rate and an average baselinefuel flow rate. The average rate may be accumulated based on thevehicle's current operating conditions (including, weight, road, andterrain conditions). Alternatively, the average rate may be determinedbased on an initial, engine-specific fuel flow rates.

For determining the amount of fuel wasted due to low/high progressiveshifting, the following algorithm may be used:

Parameters:     θ_(low)-threshold in the low LR region    θ_(high)-threshold in the high LR region     LR-critical ν/ω valuethat separates the low range from the     high range     S_(L)-savingfactor in the low range     S_(H)-saving factor in the high rangeInputs:     ν-vehicle wheel-based speed     ω-engine speed    F_(R)-fuel rate Outputs:     f_(SL)-fuel saved in the low range    f_(SH)-fuel saved in the high range f_(SL),← 0 f_(SH),← 0 LOOPthrough ν, ω, and FR   IF ν/ω < LR AND > θ_(low)       f_(SL) ← f_(SL) +(FR×S_(L)) dt   ELSEIF ν/ω > LR AND > θ_(high)       f_(SH) ← f_(SH) +(FR×S_(H)) dt   END-IF END-LOOP

The above algorithm may be preferable where an engine's torque and horsepower curves are correlated. As noted above, this algorithm may bemodified based on the performance characteristics of a given engine.

“Gearing” is a fuel-use category in which fuel is wasted as a result ofthe vehicle's transmission being improperly configured for the weight,speed and/or terrain of the sortie. Detecting such improper gearingallows the vehicle's setup to be optimized the fuel performance for thesortie profile, resulting in an overall reduction in fuel usage. Thecategorization module attributes an amount of fuel in the current timeperiod used to the gearing category when the vehicle is moving, theengine is operating in the appropriate speed range based onpredetermined speed thresholds, but the engine speed exceeds apredetermined rate that provides maximum fuel efficiency at a cruisespeed. (See, e.g., FIG. 4, “Gearing.”)

“Excessive speeding” is a fuel-use category in which the operator wastesfuel by operating the vehicle at a speed that exceeds a predeterminedthreshold top fleet speed limit (See, e.g., FIG. 4, “65 MPH.”) Theamount of fuel allocated by the categorization module to the excessivespeeding category is determined by first calculating the current fuelflow. This value may be compared with the fuel flow for a vehicleoperating at the top fleet speed. If the fuel flow while speedingexceeds the top speed value, the categorization module accumulates thewasted fuel by determining the fuel flow difference. The categorizationmodule may normalize the fuel calculated for current weight, road andterrain conditions in order to more accurately determine how much fuelis being wasted.

Exemplary conditions may include light rain, heavy rain, sunny, snowing,high winds, icy roads, darkness and other weather related situations.Exemplary conditions may also include flat straightaway, twisting roads,heavy merging, tangled intersections, uphill, steep uphill, a particulargrade of uphill (e.g., 21 degrees), downhill, steep downhill, aparticular grade of downhill (e.g., 19 degrees), blind corner or othertraffic configurations. Exemplary conditions may further includepositive or negative combinations of conditions, e.g., darkness, icyroads but no merging.

In certain embodiments, operating conditions may be sensed in real time(e.g., with weather detection equipment). In certain embodiments,operating conditions may be gathered independent of the vehicle (e.g.,from a weather report). In certain embodiments, operating conditions maybe gathered before or after operation (e.g., by checking a street map todetect intersections).

“Normal fuel use” is a fuel-use category in which fuel is not wasted.(See, e.g., FIG. 4, “Cost of Doing Business.”) During normal operation,a minimum amount of fuel required to propel or operate the vehicle(including all necessary ancillary activities, such as auxiliaryequipment usage) is consumed. The amount of fuel required during normaloperation of the vehicle may take into account the vehicle's weight, itsroute, and the terrain. Fuel is wasted due to operator activities orbehaviors that can be reduced or eliminated. It should be noted thatactivates or behaviors that might be unavoidable during a particularsortie may be considered wasteful. For instance, an operator mayunavoidably waste use fuel to idle a vehicle during a severe trafficjam.

As noted above, FIG. 3 provides a flow chart illustrating an exemplaryprocess performed by the categorization module. The module determineswhether the vehicle is moving. (Step 302) This determination may be madebased on information received from the vehicle motion & position sensors(e.g., accelerometer, INS, GPS).

If the vehicle is not moving (step 302, “No”), the categorization moduledetermines whether the engine speed is below the high-idle thresholdvalue (step 306) using information received from the drive train sensors(e.g., tachometer). If the engine speed is greater than the high-idlethreshold (step 306, “Yes”), the categorization module stores the fuelwasted due to high-idling in the fuel use log in association with thecurrent time frame (step 308). The amount of fuel wasted may bedetermined based on the difference between the measured fuel flow at theengine speed during the current time frame and the fuel flow rate at thehigh-idle threshold. The fuel flow rate at the high-idle threshold maybe determined based on engine speed information stored in the sensorlog, or it may be determined based on a predetermined fuel flow ratestored in the vehicle profile.

If the vehicle is not moving (step 302, “No”), and the engine speed isnot greater than the high-idle threshold value (step 306, “No”), thecategorization module determines whether the vehicle has been stationaryfor a continuous period of time that exceeds the excessive-idlethreshold value (step 312). If not (step 312, “No”), the categorizationmodule records the fuel used during the current time frame in thecurrent time frame as normal fuel-use (step 314). Otherwise, if thevehicle has been stationary for a continuous period of time that exceedsthe excessive-idle threshold value (step 312, “Yes”), the categorizationmodule records any amount of fuel used for the time period exceeding theexcessive-idle threshold in the category of “excessive idle” (step 310).

If the categorization module determines that the vehicle is moving (step302, “Yes”), the module determines the vehicle's speed (step 316) andthe selected gear of the transmission (step 318), based on informationreceived from the vehicle motion and position sensors and the drivetrain sensors. If the vehicle's speed is greater than a predeterminedspeed threshold value (step 320, “Yes”), the fuel used during the timeframe is attributed to the excessive speed category in the fuel-use log(step 322).

If the vehicle's speed is not greater than the predetermined speedthreshold value (step 320, “No”), the categorization module determineswhether the engine speed is outside a predetermined range for theselected gear (step 330). If the engine speed is within thepredetermined range for the selected gear (step 324, “Yes”), thecategorization module determines whether the engine speed is in apredetermined fuel-efficient range for the selected gear (step 326). Ifso, the categorization module attributes the fuel used during thecurrent time frame as “normal fuel use” (step 314) and stores fuel usedin the fuel-use log in association with the attributed category. On theother hand, if the engine speed is not in the fuel-efficient range forthe selected gear (step 326, “No”), the module attributes the amount offuel used that is outside the efficient range to the gearing categoryand records the determination in the fuel-use log (step 328).

If the engine speed is outside the predetermined range for the selectedgear (step 324, “No”), the categorization module determines whether theengine speed is outside the predetermined speed range for the selectedgear. If so (step 330, “Yes”), the module attributes the fuel used inthe time frame to the progressive low category (step 332). If thecategorization module determines that the engine speed is not below(i.e., above) the speed range for the selected gear (step 330, “No”),the module attributes the fuel used in the time frame to the progressivehigh category (step 334).

By accurately calculating the above-described categories of fuel-use andoverall fuel usage, the determining module may determine the minimumamount of fuel needed to complete a particular sortie considering theweight, route, terrain, a perfectly geared vehicle and speed thresholds.Doing so allows a determination of the fuel and cost could be saved ifthe vehicle was operated in its most efficient manner.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an exemplary process fordetermining the amount of fuel used and the amount wasted during thesortie. The determination module obtains category information stored inthe fuel-use log. (Step 502) As described above with regard to FIG. 3,the fuel-use log includes records associating an amount of fuel used indifferent time frames with a corresponding category of fuel use. Basedon the obtained information, the determination module determines thecumulative amount of fuel used during the sortie. (Step 506) Thecumulative amount of fuel used during the sortie corresponding to eachof the wasteful fuel-use categories is determined. (Step 510) Thedetermination module obtains the minimum amount of fuel required toperform the sortie by finding the difference between the fuel usedduring the sortie and the fuel-wasted during to sortie. (Step 512) Theamount of fuel required and the amount of fuel wasted may then berecorded and reported. (Step 516)

As disclosed herein, embodiments and features can be implemented throughcomputer hardware and/or software. Other embodiments of the inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of thespecification and practice of the embodiments of the invention disclosedherein. Further, the steps of the disclosed methods can be modified inany manner, including by reordering steps and/or inserting or deletingsteps, without departing from the principles of the invention. It istherefore intended that the specification and embodiments be consideredas exemplary only.

1) A method of detecting vehicle operational shortcomings related tofuel consumption, comprising: sensing information about operation of avehicle from at least one sensor positioned on the vehicle; recording,on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the sensed information;determining, from the information, whether fuel used during operation ofthe vehicle is normal fuel use or wasted fuel use; categorizing the fuelused by the vehicle into one of a plurality of normal fuel usecategories when the fuel used is determined to be normal fuel use, orinto one of a plurality of wasted fuel use categories when the fuel usedis determined to be wasted fuel use; recording, on the non-transitorycomputer readable medium, the categorized fuel use; determiningperformance information related to the vehicle from the recordedcategorized fuel used; and presenting the performance information. 2)The method of claim 1, wherein the determining performance informationstep comprises determining a minimum amount of fuel required for asortie. 3) The method of claim 2, wherein determining the minimum amountof fuel required for the sortie comprises: determining a total amount offuel used for the sortie; and subtracting a wasted amount of fuelcategorized into the plurality of wasted fuel use categories for thesortie from the total amount of fuel used for the sortie. 4) The methodof claim 1, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel use categoriescomprises at least one idle gear category. 5) The method of claim 1,wherein the plurality of wasted fuel use categories comprises at leastone gear shifting category. 6) The method of claim 1, wherein theplurality of wasted fuel use categories comprises at least one speedcategory. 7) The method of claim 1, wherein the performance informationcomprises operator instructions and the presenting step comprisescommunicating the operator instructions to an operator of the vehicleduring operation of the vehicle. 8) The method of claim 1, comprisingreceiving global positioning satellite signals. 9) The method of claim1, wherein the presenting occurs via a display visible to a driver ofthe vehicle. 10) The method of claim 1, wherein the performanceinformation comprises an amount of fuel wasted. 11) A system fordetecting vehicle operational shortcomings, comprising: at least onesensor configured to sense information about operation of a vehicle andpositioned on the vehicle; a data storage device configured to recordthe sensed information; a determination module configured to determine,from the sensed information, whether fuel used during operation of thevehicle is normal fuel use or wasted fuel use; a categorization moduleconfigured to categorize the fuel used by the vehicle into one of aplurality of normal fuel use categories when the fuel used is determinedto be normal fuel use, and into one of a plurality of wasted fuel usecategories when the fuel used is determined to be wasted fuel use; andan apparatus configured to present performance information related tothe vehicle, the determination module further configured to determinethe performance information from the categorized fuel used. 12) Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the determination module is furtherconfigured to determine a minimum amount of fuel required for a sortieas the performance information. 13) The system of claim 12, wherein thedetermination module is configured to determine a total amount of fuelused for the sortie and subtract a wasted amount of fuel categorizedinto the plurality of wasted fuel use categories for the sortie from thetotal amount of fuel used for the sortie as the minimum amount of fuelrequired for the sortie. 14) The system of claim 11, wherein theplurality of wasted fuel use categories comprises at least one idle gearcategory. 15) The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of wastedfuel use categories comprises at least one gear shifting category. 16)The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel usecategories comprises at least one speed category. 17) The system ofclaim 11, wherein the performance information comprises operatorinstructions and the apparatus is configured to present the operatorinstructions to an operator of the vehicle during operation of thevehicle. 18) The system of claim 11, comprising a global positioningsatellite receiver. 19) The system of claim 11, wherein the apparatuscomprises a display visible to a driver of the vehicle. 20) The systemof claim 11, wherein the performance information comprises an amount offuel wasted.